Reflections
by Nonsensical11
Summary: A few unconnected Death Note drabbles inspired by prompts. Spoilers up to last episode of Anime!
1. Coma

1. Coma

Watari knocked, because he had always tried his best to respect his student's privacy, and he knew that L was especially particular about it. But when L didn't come to the door, or even invite the elderly man in, Watari began to feel nervous. Images of an empty room, or a bloody corpse on the bed flashed through his mind. Suddenly, he felt his age creep up on him. His back ached, and his stomach dropped.

"I'm coming in, Ryuzaki," the man announced, reminding himself a bit of playing hide-and-go-seek, calling out the traditional 'ready or not, here I come'.

The door swung open, and Watari gasped. It was all together, worse and better than he imagined. He was not dead, he had not vanished, but there was something horribly wrong. L was passed out on the floor, half up under his desk. There was an overturned plate of sweets beside his left hand. Strawberry filling was strewn all across the floor, and even on L's signature white shirt.

"L!" the old man exclaimed. He pulled the young man out from under the desk, and relief flooded him when he saw L's eyelids flutter the tiniest bit.

"What happened?" the old man asked, not really expecting an answer, but the boy spoke slowly, his eyes still closed.

"Sugar coma."  
Then he shot up, suddenly full of life, and stood on his own, facing his guardian with a rare smile. "April fools!"

Watari breathed slowly for a moment, as if catching his breath. He opted out the usual response of 'You could have given me a heart attack'. He really just couldn't say it. In fact, despite the fact that he was still shaking slightly, he had to admit that he was pleased that L had taken a break from his constant work to play a prank.

Finally, with a resigned sigh, the old man chuckled, and pulled a very surprised L into his arms for a hug.

**This one was fairly easy to write. When the words 'Death Note' and 'coma' come to mind, it's only natural to think of L going into a sugar coma. The idea that this was a L playing a prank came later. **

**I also decided to put this from Watari's point of view, (since L's playful side is hard for me to get into), which sparked the ultimate decision to change characters instead of just using L, Matt, and Mello like I originally was going to do.**


	2. Warmth

2. Warmth

Mello was _almost _a sleep. He couldn't quite get there though. It was most likely because he was feeling stressed about Kira, and about Near, but Mello refused to admit that. Instead, he blamed his insomnia on his roommate, Matt. Though this might not actually be that far from the truth, because Matt generally would not turn in for bed until long after 3am, at the earliest. On top of that, the constant _tap, tap, tapping_ of Matt's fingers on his game's remote was impossible to tune out, and to top it all off, he stank of smoke.

A _lot_ of smoke. In fact, Mello realized as he was lying flat on his back with his eyes clamped shut, he smelled like _fresh_ smoke, which _should not_ be the case, because Mello absolutely _forbade_ Matt from smoking inside their small apartment. Mello opened his eyes, only barely, and looked to the other side of their shared bare mattress which had been dumped messily onto the floor. Sure enough, Matt had a cigarette lodged in his mouth, his eyes glued to the glowing TV set in front of him. Matt was just about to confront this problem when he realized that his best friend was wrapped in his, _Mello's_ blanket.

"That's _it!_" Mello exclaimed, jumping to a stand. Matt's eyes flashed to his friend for a moment, before flying back to the television set.

Mello marched over to the game console and held down the power button. The TV screen went from flashing to a blank blue.

"M-Mello! What the- MELLO!" Matt yells, grasping for words, his fury evident on his face, and holding his cigarette in his hand.

"Put that out!" Mello demanded.

"Mello, you're such a dick! I was about to go to bed! Now I have to start all -"

"PUT IT OUT!" Mello screamed, but Matt didn't get a chance. Mello snatched the cigarette out of his best friend's hand, dropped it onto the floor, and ground it into the carpet with the toe of his boot. The carpet sizzled slightly, the cheap plastic-y strands melding together and stinking of burnt rubber before the small sparks died.

Matt stared at his friend, his mouth agape, his expression infuriated. "Mel - " he began.

Mello grabbed the edge of his blanket, tore it away from his friend, then lied back down on his side of the mattress. He reached beside himself blindly, fingers wrapping around one of his many chocolate bars. He opened it with his teeth, then popped a piece in his mouth to let it melt.

All through this, Matt remained silent, the TV's timer beeped, and it shut off automatically.

With the chocolate dissolving on his tongue, Mello felt his anger begin to dissolve as well. He breathed deeply, and pulled his blanket up around his chest. It was still warm from when Matt had been using it.

Again, Mello was just about to fall asleep, when Matt interrupted him.

"Mello?"

"_What_, Matt?" Mello said sharply, trying to keep the hiss out of his voice.

"Night," Matt said quietly. A peace offering.

Mello sighed, unable to keep from grinning in the dark. "Good night."

**Since I decided to alternate between characters, I decided to do a Matt/Mello next. This is not exactly romantic, just my idea of what a typical day/night would be with these two. Even though I'm not writing in first person, this is obviously more from Mello's point of view than Matt's. **

**Mello getting annoyed with Matt is not really an original idea, but it's still fun to think about. This was basically inspired from me remembering nights spent with my brother. **


	3. Shadows

3. Shadows

L didn't sleep, because L wasn't tired. But he still felt the symptoms that came from lack of sleep. He felt . . . paranoia. Or maybe that was part of his personality naturally.

He stared at the screens in front of him all through the night, watching and re-watching tapes of news broadcasts, searching the internet, looking for anything that could help him with the case. But it was all for show, at this point. He knew who Kira was. He knew who the _second_ Kira was. Now all he was searching for was an explanation; some cold, concrete proof that could get his only friends put behind bars. Maybe not even that; Maybe they'd be executed.

L took a breath to settle himself, and reached for a sugar cube. He held it over his mug, contemplating, before changing his mind and popping the cube of sugar into his mouth.

They weren't true friends. Not if they would lie to him so blatantly. He shouldn't allow himself to get so . . . attached.

. . .

Shadows blurred across the edges of his vision, and the detective jolted upright with a start. He'd been falling asleep! Another few sugar cubes dropped into his coffee and he took a sip. It was cold now. The sugar didn't even dissolve. But it didn't matter. It was caffeine.

It wasn't what everyone thought. He could sleep. He knew he could. He didn't suffer from insomnia, or night terrors, or anything (not that he hadn't before . . . He just - refused. He was too close. _So close_ to cracking the case, to solving the puzzle. He couldn't sleep yet.

Anyways, he had a slight premonition that he'd get to sleep for a nice, long time soon.

**Shadows was a good prompt, that I could have used for many characters. But I was in the mood to write about Dark L. (The non-cheerful, cutesie, smiley L.) While I'm a firm believer in L _not being dead_, I chose to write this as if he _was_ going to die. _Which...he doesn't._ (My opinion.) **

**Also, I've heard different things about L's so-called insomnia. I don't know if he is or not. And since these are not chronological, or even necessarily in the same story world, I can freely contradict myself later. (E.G. With L not being dead, or having a totally different opinion.) **

**If I choose to tie a couple chapters together in a series of some sort, than I will mention it beforehand.**


	4. Sunset

4. Sunset

The sun was setting while he was dying. The symbolism was not lost on Light Yagami. He just honestly didn't care at this point. Because it _hurt_. Everything hurt. But worst of all, his pride was hurt. He had been there; he had tasted victory. He was just on the brink of achieving his goal; of making the world a good, bright, beautiful, honest place. And then it got snatched from him.

He felt no guilt. In fact, he felt jipped. At least the way he'd killed his victims for the most part had been humane! But to slowly bleed to death? Sure, some of his victims had died in other ways than heart attack. But it had been for the greater good! Not this!

The beauty around him, the sunset, it mocked him. It laughed at him. It said 'We don't need you. The world is beautiful, it's honest, not because of you...In _spite_ of you. In spite of all people like you.'

Kira, _Killer_, he laughed too. "I could have made everything _perfect!_ You don't deserve me." he said, out loud, or maybe in his head. Maybe everything was in his head. Maybe he'd already died. Or maybe he'd never found the Death Note at all. He didn't know.

And where was Ryuk in all this? Sure, the shinigami had said that he had no side, but shouldn't he be here at least? To say goodbye? To say I told you so?

Where was Misa? Takada? Mikimi? Sayu? His mother? His father? L? _Anybody?_

**Just my take on what I think Light's dying thoughts would be. Again, like I said, I may contradict this later, writing him as feeling remorse for his actions. But truthfully, I believe that this would be what he's truly thinking; As in, he may feel slightly guilty, but he would never admit it even to himself. You can read between the lines, or take it at face value. It is however you interpret it.**

**Also, Ryuk was the one who killed Light. I know this. But maybe Light was unaware of this fact?**

**Like I said, it's not first person, but it's from Light's point of view, so if he didn't know, it wouldn't be in the story.**


	5. Driven

5. Driven

Near did not hate Mello. He barely even disliked him. In fact, though he would never admit it, he actually _liked _Mello. Or rather, he enjoyed the challenge that Mello provided. There were very few people in the world that could actually have a fighting chance at beating Near in anything. One of those people was dead. The other was Mello. He never gave up. No matter how far Near surpassed him, Mello kept trying. Whether that drive was motivated through an actual desire to do what's right, or simply a desire to beat Near was unknown.

Probably the latter.

But honestly, Near didn't care. Because like the man that Near succeeded, he had a strong distaste for being bored. Mello killed that boredom.

**This one was hard for me to write. I'm not a big fan of Near (no offense to those who are), so it was difficult to 'get into his head', so to speak. But I knew that I wanted to make this about Mello, but I didn't want to do it from _his_ point of view. . . So, Near it is. **

**Note: I was actually debating making this a BB story for a while, but I don't really feel qualified for that yet since I haven't read The BB Murder book yet. I've only read about him in fan fictions, so I think I have an idea of his personality, but since it's not canon, I don't know which parts are real and which are fan-made. I guess I'll have to wait to write BB fictions until I've read the book. * sigh * **

**Also, again, I don't believe L is really dead. (That was the person mentioned as the person who could surpass Near at something, but was dead.) It was just necessary for Near's point of view, since **_**he**_** believes L to be dead. Review Please!**


	6. Motorcycle

**An update! Who's reading these? Review and let me know what you think. . . I'll accept pointers, and you can provide me with a prompt if you'd like. **

**Another Matt/Mello chapter! * Cheers * **

6.Motorcycle

Mello loved his motorcycle. He didn't get very many chances to ride it though. Or at least, to ride it in the way he loved to. There was nothing better than the freedom he experienced as he flew down the street, slicing through the wind, tearing at the road in front of him. It was like a much-needed breath of fresh air. When he was riding, he could escape his thoughts, even if just for a moment. He couldn't think of anything except for the way it felt; nothing but the stretch of road right in front of him.

Matt, of course, didn't understand.

Matt often got annoyed with Mello when he'd disappear on his motorcycle, vanishing for days at a time, without a word.

"Quit running away from everything, Mel," the redhead would say. Then Mello would bristle and point our Matt's addiction to his car, to which Matt would respond with a remark about Mello's chocolate. At the mention of chocolate, Mello's blood would boil, and he'd shout at Matt about how he lived in a fantasy world and had no motivation in life to do anything but sit inside all hours playing video games. Then Mello would shout out how Matt would never accomplish anything, and would die letting all of his potential go to waste.

Matt would be silent.

Mello would apologize.

Matt would apologize back.

They'd share an awkward silence.

"Why do you care so much, anyways, Matt?" the older boy would ask. "What I do with my time, I mean. You act like some love-sick teenager. What, you want me to sit around and talk about my feelings all night?" and promptly after that speech, they would do just that.

Matt began to wonder why they were always closest after they fought with one another.

**Another Matt/Mello, with slight hints at –- something. Maybe a romantic attachment . . . Or maybe just their friendship.**

**This conversation was inspired by my relationship with my best friend. We love each other to death, yet we fight like cats and dogs, and strangely, after those fights, we're closer than ever.**

**I was sort of reluctant to do another one about Mello, but seriously, '_Motorcycle_'. It was impossible to resist. **

**Why are the Matt/Mello ones always the longest?**


	7. Airport

**Yay! A Matsuda chapter! I was wondering when a word would remind me of him! **

7. Airport

Matsuda liked airports. It made him feel like he was going somewhere. . . Although he rarely was.

He took a deep breath, his nose overwhelmed by the mixture of smells: Food, old coffee, bleach, luggage. It smelled like people who were tired, but also like hope; the hope of going somewhere new, or coming home.

But sometimes you could sense a peculiar sadness, or dread. As people walked by, Matsuda would try to imagine why they were here. Were they going somewhere, arriving somewhere, or coming home? Were they meeting someone?

That's what _he_ was doing. He looked down at the paper in his hands, printed with an English name in large blocky letters, as he waited for the flight to arrive with the new recruit: a woman, by the name of Veronica Pallet.

**What new recruit, you're wondering? Who the heck is Veronica? Well, I don't know! But it is fan fiction, so . . . For now, let's say she's a new love interest for Matsuda! Anyways, it must be pretty insulting for Matsuda to be sent to pick someone up from an airport, but _someone's_ got to do it. Plus, Matsuda's famous for being treated – not nice. So he's just the man for the job!**

**Keep your eyes peeled. I may just use Veronica again! **

**Note: I've only been to an airport twice in my life, both times when I was very young, so it's difficult for me to recall the exact atmosphere. Hopefully I got it pretty close. I wrote it as I remembered.**


	8. Ancient

**I was going to make this about Roger or Watari, but I chose to do something different and write a chapter on Ryuk. I'm not exactly sure how accurate this is, character wise, but the thought _must_ have crossed the god of death's mind at least once.**

8. Ancient

Ryuk watched, and Ryuk listened. He laughed, and he joked. He was very pleased with himself. He couldn't think of a single god of death who had ever had as much fun as he was having. The boy, the self-proclaimed god of the new world, Light Yagami, provided more entertainment than Ryuk could have ever dreamed of.

Ryuk dreaded the day it would all come to an end, and he'd be returned once more to the dreary everyday life in the shinigami realm. In some ways, he envied the humans. They were stupid, and small, but they had the ability to do things that shinigami simply couldn't. They could love. They could die. There was always something to look forward to, when you're a human. Even if that thing is your eventual demise. Even Light knew that his own death was coming. He didn't have a choice in the matter.

But Ryuk did. He could choose to kill, and prolong his own miserable life.

Yet, somehow, after everything that he'd seen here, living forever meaninglessly seemed worse than dying.

The idea that he had a choice in the matter gave the ancient god of death something to look forward to. After everything fell apart here, what would he choose to do?

Would he choose to let nature take it's course? To find out what happens? What comes next?

Or would he be a coward?

**If you've watched the Death Note: Relight movies, then you know that in the end, Ryuk is back in the shinigami realm. However, that could be because he has to wait until he's used up the years he'd stolen from Light when he killed him. **

**Truthfully, I don't believe Ryuk would decide to allow himself to die.**

**Maybe in another century or two when he starts feeling that dreaded boredom again.**

**Review? Please? Thanks.**


	9. Window

**A rather angst-ridden chapter for my favorite character. **

9. Window

There was an old stained glass window at Wammy's House, and on the rare occasions that L did sleep, he would always see it in his dreams. Sometimes he'd see it from the outside, and other times he'd be stuck on the inside, unable to see through the glass to the outside. Once in his dream, he'd reached out to touch the glass, and instead of holding him up, he fell right through, the glass breaking into brittle shards, cutting into his skin as he fell from an impossibly far height to the ground below.

Being at Wammy's had not been a bad experience. Yet, somehow in his subconscious, seeing that old building always made him wake up in a cold sweat. Maybe it was because the memory of how he ended up there was still so fresh. He tried not to think about it. In fact, L was very skilled at not thinking about things that he didn't want to think about. Whenever he was tempted to remember, he'd just bury himself deeper into his job, deeper into solving other people's problems.

But that did nothing to solve his own.

Watari had always complimented the young man on his courage, but L knew that he was secretly a coward. He could face other people's monsters, he could even face his own death. But when it came to his own mind, his own torturous thoughts, he would always run away.

**Stained glass seems to frequent L's flashbacks. Actually, it frequents _a lot_ of things in Death Note. **

**L's past is a mystery to me, and I don't think I'll try to make one up for him. Instead, I'll avoid it in the same way he does. Watari, on the other hand might be more willing to recall the early days with L, so don't fret, I intend to get some Wammy's House L scenes into this fic eventually. **

**L's fear and cowardice is his own personal opinion of himself. He mentions it in the second Relight movie. (In a speech that nearly made my heart break.) **

**L's nightmare is based on a similar one of my own. **

**Review, please! **


	10. Angel

**Matt/Mello again. Read and review please!**

10. Angel

Mello was so gorgeous that is was almost painful. His golden hair, his small, feminine features, his slim figure. Everything about him was beautiful. He looked like an angel, especially with the rosary beads around his neck, tying him to his God, his roots.

But there were very few people who noticed his beauty. No one could get past his venomous personality, or the dark clothes he wore. And ever since the 'accident', when half of Mello's face got burned off, leaving him with an ugly scar across his whole left side, when people saw him, they saw a bright flashing sign reading _dangerous_.

Now, Matt wasn't gay for Mello, or anything, but he was definitely not one of the people who couldn't get past Mello's harsh exterior. He knew his friend. He could see the beauty that everyone else overlooked, and not just the beauty on the outside either. Matt knew that inside, there was a true human being, who was capable of loving, and who needed love.

Mello had a quick temper, which grated on Matt's nerves, and Matt had an indifference that made Mello want to strangle the gamer, but truthfully, both of the boys cared deeply for one another. They were best friends, after all.

**Who is Matt kidding? He's so gay for Mello, it's not even funny. Actually, it _is_ funny.**

**Seriously, 'Angel'? It screamed Mello. Angel of _DEATH_. Just kidding. I love Mello. This was so painfully mushy to write, but I have to admit, I love the mush. I was actually considering this as a Misa chapter at first, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I don't like Misa. **

**Maybe eventually I'll find one that describes her unrequited love towards Light? 'Roses' is next. That sounds promising. **


	11. Roses

**This one will be a Misa chapter! How exciting.**

11. Roses

Light brought Misa a dozen white roses wrapped in plastic packaging from the grocery store when he came for his obligatory visit that weekend. Misa was thrilled.

At first.

Light gave her the rundown of what he expected from her the upcoming week, and ten minutes later was ready to leave.

"Light, please. Won't you stay with me tonight?" Misa asked hopelessly. She knew the answer before he spoke.

"Misa, you know that's just not a possibility right now. I'm a little annoyed that you keep asking. Use your head, Misa!" Light said angrily.

"Sorry, Light," she said with a sigh. _Someday_, they would be able to be together, once Light was known all over the world as god, and her, Misa, as his goddess. Then they would have everyday for the rest of their lives, and she would finally be able to be Light's wife.

Someday.

Light left, kissing her dispassionately, and disappeared without an 'I love you'.

As the woman sat their alone in her apartment, the pasty white roses in a too-big vase on her coffee table, she began to think about the last time she'd seen white roses – on the coffins of her mother and father. Ever since then, she had not been able to think of them the same way.

Of course _Kira_ would give her a gift that made her thing of funerals and death. Come to think of it, that described their relationship perfectly.

She pushed the thoughts out of her mind. He was trying. And it was very thoughtful of him to bring her flowers.

Misa curled up on her couch, her favorite TV program on, but she couldn't concentrate on it. The smell of the roses overwhelmed her, and she just couldn't stand it anymore. She picked up the vase with the flowers, marched over to her coat closet, and stuck the vase on the highest shelf. She sat back down to watch TV, feeling only slightly guilty.

She'd told him before, she _hated_ roses.

But what if he came back, and saw that she hadn't appreciated his gift? Misa worried.

Oh, who was she kidding? He wasn't coming back.

**Misa? Hate a gift from Light? I can only see this happening towards the end, with that whole Takada situation.**

**I'm also pretty sure that Misa has **_**worn**_** roses before, which stands to suggest that she doesn't hate them. Oh-well. This is a fictional story after all.**

**Please review! It makes me happy, and gives me inspiration! New prompts are welcome too!**


	12. Innocence

**This will be my last multiple chapter update for a while. I've finished editing and posting all the chapters currently on the computer, so I have to get back to writing! **

**This is a Yagami family chapter!**

12. Innocence

Light loved his sister, Sayu. He loved the way she looked up to him, and he loved her innocence.

He could hear her through the paper-thin walls of his room. She was gossiping on the phone with one of her little friends.

"Oh, c'mon, Re-re! You've got to be kidding me! There's no way you think that _he's_ cute. He's my _brother_ for crying out loud! - No! Ew! Tell him yourself. That would be _totally_ awkward! Anyways, he has a girlfriend!"

Light smiled to himself, in the darkness of his room. Ryuk chuckled quietly.

"You'll never _guess_ who it is! Oh, but I probably shouldn't say anything," she carried on. "Yeah, you're right. Who cares! Anyways, you won't tell anyone will you?" her voice faded to a whisper, sharing secrets that were none of her business.

_Maybe not too innocent after all,_ Light mused. He thought back to things his sister had done in the past; Lying to their parents, borrowing his things without asking, sneaking out to her friend's house when she was grounded. They were little things; only natural for children, but Light found himself realizing something: Eventually she was going to grow up. She was already starting to. These little childish things could blossom into much worse. And even if she didn't become the next top criminal, or become a bank robber, did he _really_ want dishonest people, lazy people, or useless people in his perfect world?

She may me young now, young and innocent. But eventually she'd lose that innocence. And as the god of the new world, it would be up to him to judge her.

He pondered for a moment if he'd be able to do it; if he could kill his own sister, or his whole family if it came to that . . . And he decided that if he was ever put in that position, if he ever had to end his sister's life, it would be because she had changed. She wouldn't be Sayu. She'd be just another worthless sinner.

**Yikes! The man is cold, is he not? Anyways, I _love _how all he 'loves' about his sister is the way she worships him. I'm imagining this happening more towards the beginning of his Kira Career, when he's ironing out all the little details that come from being the 'righteous judge' of the whole entire world.**

**Note: Re-Re is not a feeble attempt at Japanese name. It's short for 'retard'. I don't know why, but I feel the need to point that out. **

**I really like how this one turned out. I feel like I actually wrote Light in canon. **

**Anyways, I was going to make this about the Wammy's House kids, but really, are they all that innocent? L is innocent, in a sense, I suppose. But I think the most innocent characters in the whole series are Sayu and Matsuda. (And wouldn't they make the **_**cutest**_** couple? Besides Matt/Mello I mean.)**

**Imagination is next. I have **_**no**_** idea who that will be for. Maybe Near and his little toys? Ew, Near :P**

**Review please! **


	13. Imagination

13. Imagination

L had never had much of an imagination. Even as a child, he preferred facts to fiction. When the other children would run outside and play pretend, L would be off in the distance, thinking hard, keeping to himself. He didn't live in the past, and he never hoped for the future, he just kept pressing and prodding, trying to figure out the present. Whether this was wise, or simply very shallow, Watari never knew. Watari had always prided himself on being a very grounded individual, but he sometimes he couldn't help but to slip into an ideal dream world, where brilliant children did not grow up alone; an ideal world where he could save everyone.

**Reviews make me VERY happy! **

**Note: I have a thing for last lines. They make me happy. **


	14. Rat

14. Rat

A very long time ago, when Mello was young, he bought an albino rat and smuggled it into Wammy's as a prank. He locked it in a cage and hid it in Near's underwear drawer, with a note attached reading 'To: Near. The resemblance is startling.'

Instead of getting mad, Near decided to keep the rat.

It had to stay a 'secret', because Wammy's House had a strict no-animals policy, but all of the students knew about it. Some children would even stop by to bring the animal a snack.

Near studied the animal as if it were a science experiment. Sometimes he would build mazes out of his wooden blocks and send the rat through them. The rat remained nameless to Near, he merely referred to him as R, but in spite of this, Near cared about the animal.

Less than half a year later, however, R was acting oddly. He wouldn't eat, his movements were slow, and lately he'd been spending most of the day asleep. The very young Near didn't mention this to anyone.

_He'll be fine in a few days_, he told himself.

For the next few days, Near refused to check on the animal, afraid of what he'd find. He'd open the drawer a fraction to drop food in, but would never look in to see if R was okay.

Weeks later, a dreadful smell had filled the entire orphanage, and eventually Roger tracked the source down to Near's bedroom.

Roger, being the only one oblivious to Near's secret, had to search the entire room before he found a very dead white rat in an empty drawer of Near's dresser.

"My God, Near!" the elderly man exclaimed at the stony faced boy. "Why didn't you tell me about it? How long has this mess been here?" he demanded, his face showing pure disgust at the sight (and smell) before him.

Near watched silently as Roger had the small rodent removed from the drawer.

"Now the whole drawer will have to be scrubbed," Roger sighed. He looked over at Near, who was sitting in the floor surrounded by action figures

"This is why I don't allow pets, Near."  
Near scoffed. "He wasn't my pet. He was a pest."  
Roger raised an eyebrow at the boy in disbelief, but said nothing of it. He tossed the remains of the dead animal out the window and into the bushes below. "Next time, see to it that you _report_ pests, then, N."

Near nodded slowly.

That night, alone in his bedroom, Near felt an overwhelming emotion that he had never experienced before. He couldn't put a name on it. He would have said it was sadness, but people who were sad cried. Near hadn't cried since he was an infant.

Maybe it was loss.

**Hmm. I was going to make this about Near _being_ a rat (from Mello's point of view, obviously), but I dismissed that idea rather quickly. This was born in it's stead. Near seems to have an avoidance problem. (No problem, Near. So do I.) **

**I never feel as confident with the Near chapters. Review please and let me know what you think! **

**Matt/Mello is up next!**


	15. Options

**This is going to be a busy week for me, so I won't be able to update daily. Sorry!**

**Enjoy some Matt/Mello while you wait! **

15. Options

"Mel, hurry up." Matt said impatiently, drumming his fingers on the sides of his crossed arms.

"Shut it, Matt," Mello says drily.

"_Please,_ hurry?"

"No. Be quiet. You're making it take longer than it has to."

"I knew I shouldn't have come with you," Matt sulked, dropping to the floor in the middle of the store.

"Matt, get up. Quit being so retarded."

"Just let me go by myself! It won't take my but a minute! I'll be _right_ back! Please, Mel, if I wait any longer they'll be sold out!" Matt whined.

"Don't be so dramatic, Matt. They're not going to sell out in the next twenty minutes." Mello chided. He grabbed a vest of the rack and held it up to himself in the mirror.

_More like the next decade, _Matt thought to himself. Mello was such a girl when it came to shopping.

"Why can't I just go really quick?" Matt suggested hopefully.

"Because I need your opinion!"

"Damn it, Mello! You look good in _everything_. Buy the whole freaking store!"

"See? I need someone here to tell me that," Mello grinned. He loved messing with Matt. "Hey," he said, to change the subject. "You should try this on, Matty." Mello held up an impossibly skinny pair of leather pants.

"You've got to be kidding me," Matt growled.

Mello glared at his friend for a second, then grinned evilly.

"What?" Matt demanded.

"If you try them on, we can leave right after, and we can go buy your stupid game."

"It's not stupid! It's the biggest game of the y-"

"Do I look like I care? Will you do it?" Mello interrupted.

Matt thought for a second. It wasn't really that big of a deal. Mello thought he was suggesting something that Matt would never do, but really, what _wouldn't_ Matt do to leave right then? Sure, the leather pants weren't really his thing . . . But . . . Maybe just this once.

"Fine," Matt hissed, yanking the leather pants away from Mello. He was putting on more of a show then he needed to. If Mello knew that he didn't mind trying on the pants, he might change his mind.

…

Matt was surprised how well the pants fit. They restricted his movement horribly, but they weren't painfully tight or anything. He turned to examine himself in the dressing room mirror.

"Aren't you done yet, Matt? I thought you were in a hurry."

Matt opened the door between them without a word.

Mello stared a minute before he grinned. "You probably should have left your shirt on, man. This is a public place. Little kids, y'know. Don't want to make anyone go blind."

Matt looked around quickly. There weren't any kids around. There was, however, a couple of girls in the corner of the store, checking him out while they giggled and nudged each other.

Matt turned back to his friend and saw that Mello was staring at him.

"Er . . . So, you ready?" Matt asks uncomfortably.

"Yeah. Hey, hurry up and change. I'm going to buy those for you."

Matt was about to argue, but decided that might postpone their trip to the video game store across the mall.

"Yeah, okay."

**Okay, so I was going to make this some deep thing about L choosing his successor, but somehow this came forth. I guess I just needed some uplifting guy-love. I was in the mood for humor. Anyways, 'Options' makes me think of shopping. Or maybe the 'Option' of whether or not to fight with Mello. Choosing battles, and all that. **

**I'm with Matt, cause I hate shopping for clothes. Especially if it's for someone else.**

**Reviews, suggestions, and new prompts – They all make me want to write more! **


	16. Nurturing

16. Nurturing

Watari had a hobby that drove L absolutely insane, and that hobby was match-making. Any time, for whatever reason, L came in contact with a likely looking female (which was _not_ very often), Watari would mention her later to the younger man, suggesting all sorts of impossibilities, including _dates_. As if L had time for such things! As if he was even _interested_.

"Ryuzaki, it's not good for you to spend so much time alone," the old man would say.

"You're with me, Watari," L would point out.

"Yeah, but I'm not always going to be here, Ryuzaki! And once I'm gone - "

"Watari, please," L would cut him off. He knew that it was inevitable, but he didn't like to think about losing the man who'd raised him.

The older man would sigh and move on to other subjects, leaving L's love life alone for the time being.

L didn't believe that he could love. He cared for people, yes, but love? No, surely it was impossible.

But Watari knew better. The young may not understand love, but that didn't mean he couldn't someday.

**Wow, sappy! I was stuck on this one for the longest time. **

**Just to explain, these are _inspired_ by the prompts, and don't necessarily have to include them! (I'm making up rules as a I go.) And Watari = Nurturing!**

**Don't you just love Watari's hobby? My best friend has a very similar one! **

**Review please! **


	17. Cactus

18. Cactus

"Matt, what the hell is that?" Mello asked as he watched his friend pull a small potted plant from the shelf by the check out line.

"It's a cactus, smart-ass."

Mello rolled his eyes. "Look who's talking. What's the cactus _for_?"

Matt gestured at the items filling the bright red shopping cart that Mello was pushing; cigarettes, cereal, chocolate, a couple bars of soap, a towel, a bagged bed sheet, and a bunch of other unconnected things.

"What are _those_ for?"

Mello didn't answer, so Matt answered for him. "They're for the apartment." He looked pointedly between the things in the cart and the tiny cactus in his hand. "_This_ is for our apartment."

"Why do we need stupid plant?"

"It's homey, " Matt said simply.

"Who gives a shit about homey? This is just a temporary thing, Matt."  
Matt glared at Mello, and held the cactus closer. "_I _give a shit."

"Freak," Mello muttered under his breath.

"I'm gonna name him Near," Matt said, smiling gently at the spiny little plant.

"You'd better not! What did it do to you?"  
"I thought it was a stupid plant," Matt said with a smirk.  
"_Nothing_ deserves to be named after _that_."

"Well, fine. What do you want to call it?"

"I'm not naming a _plant_!"

"Hello,_ Near,_" Matt croons, stroking the spikes of the cactus.

"Fine! Call it...I don't know...Call it George."  
"George?"

"I don't know!"

Matt grinned at his best friend, offering the little plant to him.

"George, this is Mello. Mello, George."

"Freak," Mello said again.

"Hmm?"

"I said: 'Hi, George.'"

Matt smiled. "You know I love you, Mel."  
"Whatever."

Matt's grinning face fell.

Mello sighed, handing the little cactus back. "Yeah. Love you too, man."

**Happy almost Valentine's day!**

**(This is _friend_** **love, by the way, with just a dash of something else ;D)**

**I have absolutely _no_ idea where this came from, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't adore it. I love writing Matt/Mello. It gives me a chance to use my potty mouth x] **

**So, originally I was thinking of making this about Mello having cactus needles in his butt cheeks and Matt helping him get them out (high five if you know what THAT'S from), but I changed my mind.**

**Review? **


	18. Passion

19. Passion

Light Yagami looked at the world as a whole, and saw how the filth outweighed the good in it.

He saw himself, and he saw the greater picture.

People may have thought he was just a bright kid, but they would never understand. His intelligence went far beyond getting high marks in academics. He knew he wasn't perfect, but he also knew he was far better than anyone else.

Who else could be unbiased enough to judge the world righteously? Who else? There was no one.

No one could judge him. He may be a bad person, but he was a perfect god.

God doesn't have rules to follow, he _makes_ the rules.

He isn't the line between good and evil, Light's _above_ good and evil.

And his soul?

You don't need a soul when you're god.

Or at least, that's what he kept telling himself.

**Passion: Perfect prompt for Valentine's Day. I intended to get this written a LONG time ago, but I just wasn't inspired. I was going to make it a romantic chapter, and I think that's why I was stuck. I decided I'd rather write about _Light's_ passion. Besides, 'Passion' makes me think about God. God – god – Kira. You see how this came forth. **

**Reviews are much appreciated, and please forgive my late updates recently. Winter Break doesn't last forever, y'know, and I have school.**


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